West Midlands Police have come under fire after mistakenly destroying a £6,000 electric cargo bike, part of a Birmingham City Council initiative aimed at reducing urban pollution. The Tern GSD bike, owned by Matin Zandi, was seized on 24 April despite being a legal e-bike with a motor limited to assisting up to 15.5mph (25km/h), in line with UK law.
Mr Zandi's bike featured prominently in the council's efforts to promote sustainable transport and reduce emissions in Birmingham city centre. However, police officers seized it during an operation targeting food delivery riders using illegal e-bikes, which often feature unlimited motor output and do not require pedalling. Experts argue that the police test used to determine the bike's speed was flawed, as it only measured the manual rotation of the wheel, not the motor's limited power output.
Sean Farmelo, who operates the Birmingham Bike Foundry rental scheme that supplied Mr Zandi's bike, has expressed concerns about a 'chilling effect' on e-bike usage in the city. He noted that the Tern GSD is a widely recognised and popular e-bike brand, and the seizure may deter others from using similar bikes for legitimate purposes.
The BBC has reported that this is not an isolated incident, with several other legal e-bikes and even mobility aids used by wheelchair users reportedly being seized and destroyed in error. Kate Ball from the disabled charity Wheels for Wellbeing has called for better education among police forces to prevent such mistakes, noting that once an item is seized, there is often no mechanism for its return.
In response, West Midlands Police stated that a rider was stopped on 24 April in Birmingham city centre and issued a fixed penalty notice for riding without insurance, with the bike subsequently seized. The force confirmed that the rider was advised of his right to challenge the decision in court and that a complaint regarding the seizure is currently under review.